Newsletter, June 2008

Welcome

Thank you for sharing a few minutes with Street Yoga. It's berry season here in the Pacific Northwest, and we're loving the gentle gift of fresh strawberries, ripe and generous. We live in an amazing world!

Gratitude

We'd like to recognize our first Sponsor The Bhaktishop for their ongoing and generous support to our work. Without the help and love of Lisa Mae, Diana and all the folks at the Bhaktishop, there'd simply be less Street Yoga in the world. Thank You All!!!

Read below about how to become a Street Yoga Sponsor of Friend.

Upcoming Events

Feel free to join us for any and all of these public events coming up.

• Karma Day at the Yoga Shala, Portland, June 29, 2008. Get out of the heat this Sunday and take your whole family to the super-fun, family-friendly Karma Yoga Day at Yoga Shala of Portland. Enjoy an adult’s yoga class taught by the Shala’s best teachers, while your children enjoy a kids yoga class or arts activities in other studios. Please come at 6:00 for a potluck, a sing-a-long with SaraTone and a Raffle drawing with awesome prizes: yoga, spa and wellness packages and restaurant gift certificates. Benefit yourself while benefiting SY with your contribution!
• Moving Through Trauma with Love and Stillness -- How Yoga Can Help You Release Past Hurts (and Get On with Living Fully Right Now) with Mark Lilly, Lisa Mae Osborn and Diana Hulet. This workshop is for adults who are enduring any of the effects of any form of trauma, whether recent or old, psychic or physical, spiritual or emotional. Use yoga, chanting, and meditation as tools to move through old patterns. Visit the Bhaktishop for more details.. All proceeds go to benefit Street Yoga.
• Being Yoga Conference, New York City, October 10-12, Mark Lilly and Katie Arrants will be offering two workshops on yoga and service. This event is sponsored by the Omega Institute. They now have conference details and registration information available.

Happenings

• Yoga + Joyful Living. Look for an article about Street Yoga in the September/October issue of popular magazine Yoga + Joyful Living!
• Yoga Thearapy Training. During the last weekend of May, Street Yoga and the Yoga Shala of Portland sponsored a Integrated Movement Therapy (IMT) training . The training was offered by Molly Lannon Kenny a nationally recognized innovator in the yoga based therapy field, and one of the founders of the Samarya Center of Seattle. Students learned about how Integrated Yoga Therapy, which utilizes yoga’s philosophical, physical, and spiritual framework, can benefit people with chronic pain, depression, stroke, MS, Parkinson's, traumatic brain injury and anxiety. We learned the importance of treating individuals as unique cases and structuring therapy according to the client’s special interests, challenges and needs and to not identify people by their diagnosis. This is in line with Patanjali’s belief that “All avoidable pain comes from identifying with something outside one Self” (2.17).
• Family Night Night At Nara. On May 23rd, Star Street Yoga Volunteers, TJ and Lauren, taught a Street Yoga Workshop during Family night at NARA (Native American Rehabilitation Association) outpatient treatment center. Most people were excited, as well as a bit nervous, to try yoga. There were babies and grandparents, and everyone in between. What a blessing to be present with so many people really wanting to connect and do yoga together. We were able to touch upon our connection with spirit, with our bodies, with nature and the elements, with each other, and our families. Some sun breaths and seated meditation began our practice to warm and bring awareness to our breathing. We played a few yoga games, which brought laughter, playful noises, and overall lightheartedness.
  
  The class size fluctuated throughout the hour or so, with everyone returning back for the ending relaxation and closing circle. Savasana, as usual, was many peoples' favorite part of the class. Tension seemed to melt off everyone's faces and bodies, as they relaxed more deeply and received lavender temple massages, and joyfully took a few moments of silent appreciation. One of the girls at NARA this evening has been participating in Street Yoga classes for the past three years! She attends CTS (the Community Transitional School) and was proud to practice with her family, especially her mom. It was a beautiful sight to witness this single mother, in recovery from addiction, with her three children, connecting with the strength and peace of trees and her own roots and enjoy a momentary ease from everyday stress. We ended in a circle, with three Oms, the first one for personal and individual healing; the second for family, all present and those not; and the third one we sent out to the greater family and community. This was a special evening overall, and a powerful way to end our practice together. NARA's motto is “Without the family circle, there will be no future.” This message rings true locally, globally, and with the mission of Street Yoga.

Street Yoga Trainings

• Street Yoga Training, Portland, OR, August 1-3, 2008. There are a few spaces left for this weekend. If you are interested in this training please check online.
• Street Yoga Training, Gananoque, ON, Canada, Sept 19-21, 2008. If you are interested in this training please check online.
• Street Yoga Training, Core Power Studio, Huntington Beach, CA, Nov 7-9, 2008. More details soon.

2008 Summer Intern

Street Yoga is pleased to welcome Danielle Aquino-Roithmayr as the summer 2008 Street Yoga intern. Danielle was awarded the McGill Lawrence Internship Award to work with Street Yoga through her school Reed College, of which she is a recent graduate. She will be working with Street Yoga from May 21st -July 19th.

Fall Internship Available

Street Yoga is pleased to announce its partnership with LINKS AmeriCorps. LINKS AmeriCorps provides part-time service opportunities in environment, education, public safety, and other human needs. LINKS Members earn an education award of up to $4,725 upon completion of their term of service and may also earn a cost of living stipend from Street Yoga. We are seeking a seeks a LINKS AmeriCorps volunteer to teach weekly yoga classes, coordinate volunteers, develop curriculum, and over-see evaluation. Click here to read to learn how to become LINKS Member and Street Yoga Intern.

New Community Sites

Street Yoga is pleased to add a Lifeworks program and the Parenting Program of Salvation Army White Shield as a new summer community sites for Street Yoga classes. Lifeworks on SE 136th Avenue is an after school as summer program for children ages 5-18 living in a low income housing community. The Parenting Program of Salvation Army White Shield teaches parenting skills to mothers between the ages of 12-18, and works to effectively prevent the continuation of the cycles of abuse, teen pregnancy, delinquent behavior and substance abuse

Our other current community sites include: Outside In, Letty Owings Center, Harry’s Mother, the Community Transitional School, Wild Flowers Salvation Army White Shield, Morrison Child and Family Service's FSAT Program (Family Sexual Abuse Treatment), the Bradley Angle House and The Residential Alchohol and Drug (RAD) Program at the Juvenile Detention Center.

T-shirts for Sale

We have beautiful Street Yoga t-shirts for sale. You can check them out and purchase them online by going to: Street Yoga T-Shirts -- proceeds benefit Street Yoga. Free shipping in the U.S.A!

Levels of Support for Street Yoga

Street Yoga Sponsors donate $1,000 over one year to Street Yoga. When you become a Street Yoga Sponsor you will receive:

• Acknowledgement on our popular website with a link to your website.
• Acknowledgment in our monthly newsletter.
• Two free Street Yoga t-shirts.
• Acknowledgement in the Street Yoga press package.
• A 20% discount on all Street Yoga sponsored workshops and trainings.

Street Yoga Friend you must donate $50 or more. When you become a Street Yoga Friend you will receive:

• A Street Yoga t-shirt Our monthly newsletter
• A 10% Discount on our workshops and trainings.
• Satisfaction of knowing that your support helps bring great programming to youth facing huge life struggles.

Please drop us a line if you are interested in supporting Street Yoga in this way, or, if you just want to make a one-time donation, feel free to do so anytime, by clicking here.

Namaste

As always, we are grateful for your continued love and support. May your season bring you joy, ease, and lots of yoga.

Blessings,
the Folks at Street Yoga